1, j AUSrRA l. A..
PRIME MINSTER
K PRIME MINISTER
THURSDAY 21 APRIL FOR MEDIA
SPEAKING NOTES FOR WANNON BY-ELECTION CAMPZIGN OPENING
I DOUBT IF IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE IN FELERAL
HISTORY, THAT A NEWLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT HAS HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO TEST ITS STANDING WITH THE ELECTORATE
SO SOON AFTER THE ELECTION,
BUT THEN, SO MANY UNPRECEDENTED THINGS HAVE
HAPPENED SINCE THE FORMER MEMBER FOR WANNON ANNOUNCED
THE ELECTION LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO, I SUPPOSE WE
SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED BY THIS.
WITHOUT COMMENTING ON THE FORMER MEMBER'S
RESIGNATION THREE WEEKS AFTER THE ELECTORS OF WANNON
RETURNED HIM, I ONLY WANT TO SAY AT THE OUTSET THAT
I WELCOME THIS EARLY OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT TO THE PEOPLE
OF AUSTRALIA ON THE STEPS THEIR NEW GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN
TO SET AUSTRALIA ON THE ROAD TO NATIONAL RECOVERY, NATIONAL
RECONCILIATION AND NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION; AND THROUGH
THE ELECTORS OF WANNON, TO SUBMIT OUR PERFORMANCE AND
OUR PLANS TO THEIR. JUDGMENT, 1 ./ 2
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AND I AM DELIGHTED THAT THIS OPPORTUNITY SHOULD
ARISE IN AN ELECTORATE LIKE ' ANI-. ON,
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE 11ARK THAN
ANY SUGGESTION THAT THIS GOVERNMENT ITS GOIN4G TO LIMIT ITS
CONCERN TO THE METROPOLITAN AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS,
THE WHOLE THEME OF OUR CAMPAIGN WAS BRINGING
AUSTRALIA TOGETHER, ITS WHOLE BASIS WAS THAT FOR MOST OF THE PAST
DECADE, THERE HAD BEEN TOO MUCH OF THE SETTING OF
AUSTRALIAN AGAINST AUSTRALIAN, GROUP AGAINST GROUP AND
REGION AGAINST REGION.
AND THAT PROCESS OF NATIONAL DIVISION INCLUDED
AN ONGOING ATTEMPT TO SET CITY PEOPLE AGAINST COUNTRY
PEOPLE. THERE WERE TOO MANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS BY CITY
PEOPLE OF THE PROBLEMS AND NEEDS OF COUNTRY PEOPLE AND
THE VITAL CONTRIBUTION THEY MAKE TO OUR NATIONAL ECONOMY.
AND AS A PARTY, AND NOW AS A GOVERNMENT, WE
REJECT COMPLETELY THE CONCEPT OF CONFLICT BETWEEN CITY
AND COUNTRY. WE DEPEND ON EACH OTHER AND WE NEED EACH OTHER.
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AND JUST AS IN RECENT WEEKS WE HAVE BEGUN THE
PROCESS OF GETTING BUSINESS AID UNIONS TO UNDERSTAND EACH
OTHER BETTER, TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S PROBLEMS AND
VIEWPOINT, AND TO WORK TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THEIR MUTUAL
SELF-INTEREST, SO THE PROCESS OF ENDING THE ARTIFICIAL
CONFLICT OF INTEREST BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY WILL BE
PART OF OUR ONGOING TASK OVER THE YEARS TO COME.
IT IS ONLY FIVE WEEKS TOMORROW SINCE WE WERE
SWORN IN AS A GOVERNMENT. I BELIEVE I CAN REPORT TO YOU
AND THROUGH YOU, TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA, THAT A
GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
THE MAJOR TASK HAS BEEN TO CLEAR THE GROUND
SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MAKING THE RIGHT
DECISIONS. THIS HAS INVOLVED A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATIONACQUISITION
AND INFORMATION-SHARING.
THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE ITSELF
WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT PROCESS; AND IT WILL BE
A CONTINUING PROCESS. / 4
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THE FIRST THING WE HAD TO DO W'AS OF COURSE
TO PROVIDE THE INFORtiATION TO THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA
TO MAKE THEM FULLY AVARE OF THE SERIOUSNIESS OF THE
PRESENT ECONO,. IC CRISIS AND THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEN. S
WE HAVE INHERITED FROM THE PREVIOUS GOVERINMENT,
INDEED WE HAD TO TAKE FIRMI AND PROM. PT ACTION
EVEN BEFORE WE WERE SWORN IN.
As SOON AS WE WERE ELECTED WE WERE FACED WITH
AN URGENT NEED TO END THE DAMAGING AND DESTABILISING EFFECTS
OF SPECULATION AGAINST THE AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR WHICH HAD BEEN
DELIBERATELY AND IRRESPONSIBLY CREATED BY LEADING ME', BERS
OF THE OUTGOING GOVERNMENT.
MR ANTHONY, FOR EXAMPLE, MADE REPEATED STATEMENTS
ALLEGING THAT THE ELECTION OF A LABOR GOVERNMENT WOULD RESULT
IN A DEVALUATION OF THE DOLLAR,
THE NEW LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION WENT TO THE
EXTREMES OF IRRESPONSIBILITY BY PUTTING AN ACTUAL FIGURE
OF 15 PERCENT ON A LABOR DEVALUATION.
Now OF COURSE THESE IRRESPONSIBLE STATEMENTS
BECAME SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY, BY CREATING FURIOUS
SPECULATION ON THE DOLLAR. -" fl-
> 1/ SO WE HAD TO ACT FIRMLY; AND WE DID.
AND THE 10 PERCENT DEVALUATION HAS MORE THAN
REVERSED THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE SPECULATION SO IRRESPONSIBLY
FUELLED BY OUR OPPONENT. S DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
THE MONEY HAS FLOWED BACK. THE BALANCE OF
PAYMENTS HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED, STABILITY HAS BEEN
RESTORED TO THE DOLLAR.
THAT WAS AN IMMEDIATE AND TEMPORARY PROBLEM
WE INHERITED FROM THE DELIBERATE ACTIONS OF OUR PREDECESSORS,
BUT THE ONGOING PROBLEMS WE HAVE INHERITED
ARE OF A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT AND INTRACTABLE KIND.
IN THE TWO WEEKS AFTER "' IR PEACOCK'S DEVALUATION
STATEt-IENT, AUSTRALIA'S CASH RESERVES FELL BY NEARLY
$ 3 BILLION.
I op9mm W. F.
I IN THE TWELVE MONTHS FROM J'iARCH 1982, UNEMPLOYt-ENT
GREW FROM 6.6 PERCENT TO 10.4 PERCENT OF THE WORKFORCE.
UNEMP'LOYMtENT AMONG FIFTEEN TO NINETEEN YEAR OLDS IN THE
WORKFORCE ROSE ABOVE 29 PERCENT.
So IT MEANS THAT AMONG CERTAIN GROUPS OF OUR
SOCIETY AMONG THE YOUNG PEOPLE., AMONG WOMEN IN THE
WORKFORCE., AMONG MISRANTS UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS MATCH
0 THOSE EXPERIENCED IN THE DEPTHS OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION
ITSELF. LAST YEAR, AUSTRALIA'S DOMESTIC PRODUCT FELL
BY 1.6 PERCENT. THAT'S THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1961 THAT
OUTPUT HAS FALLEN.
So THE BASIC TASK AHEAD IS VERY CLEAR. WE HAVE
GOT TO GET GROWTH BACK INTO THE AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY,
0WE HAVE GOT TO GET THIS ECONOMY MOVING.
WE HAVE GOT TO ARREST THE EXPLOSION IN
UNEMPLOYMENT. 9 7
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AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST
FIVE WEEKS HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ADDRESS OURSELVES TO THIS
GIGANTIC TASK. TODAY, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OPENED THE
PARLIAMENT IN CANBERRA. AND IN HIS SPEECH, HE OUTLINED
THE MEASURES WE PROPOSE TO SET IN TRAIN.
AND WHILE OUR GOVERNMENT'S ECONOMIC MEASURES
DOMINATED THE SPEECH, REFLECTING THE SERIOUSNESS OF
AUSTRALIA'S ECONOMIC SITUATION, IT IS NONE THE LESS
A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR REFORM.
AND LET IT NEVER BE FORGOTTEN WHILE GETTING
AUSTRALIA OUT OF THE ECONOMIC MESS WE INHERITED., THIS
IS A REFORMING LABOR GOVERNMENT, COMMITTED TO THE GOAL OF
CREATING A MORE EQUAL., AND A MORE JUST, AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY.